Workers Struggles: The Americas
Latin America
Puerto Rican electrical workers union calls one-day strike over government energy contract
On March 3, the Electrical and Irrigation Workers Union (Utier) of Puerto Rico announced a 24-hour strike to begin at 10 PM, March 8. The purpose of the stoppage will be two-fold: to hold a protest at the Capitol and to publicly attend a presentation outside the Chamber of Representatives as part of the investigation of the contract between the administration of Governor Pedro Pierluisi and the Electrical Energy Authority (AEE) with LUMA Energy.
Union president Ángel Figueroa Jaramillo stated that the strike was called so that “all the AEE workers, represented by Utier, can see the presentation that the Alliance of Active and Retired Employees will put on this coming Tuesday where we will expose the truth of the contract with LUMA Energy and the government of Pedro Pierluisi that has already cost us more than $80 million, raises rates, eliminates the collective contract, the retirement system, employment stability and the guarantee of all acquired rights.”